Biography
Actor, director and producer Mel Columcille Gibson may have started out as just another pretty face but has justly earned the status of superstar. He is generally considered an Australian because he has adopted the country’s native accent, although he was born in Peekskill, New York on January 3, 1956 and raised there till the age of twelve. He is the sixth of eleven children. The family then moved to Sydney because his father wanted to protect his boys from being drafted to serve in Vietnam.
Gibson had originally wanted to become a journalist but instead he attended the National Institutes of Dramatic Art in Sydney to study drama. Initially, he suffered from terrible stage fright and was so nervous in his first play that he was unable to stand and had to play the role sitting down. He debuted onscreen in Summer City (1976), after which he joined the South Australia Theater Company, and appeared in a number of classical and contemporary productions before neophyte director George Miller invited Gibson to audition for the titular role in the action film "Mad Max." Although the film was only moderately popular outside Australia (it was the nations biggest commercial success in history), its sequel, "The Road Warrior" (1981), hit it big internationally and made Gibson a star. His star status was bolstered by his next film "Gallipoli."
Since then Gibson has stared in dozens of movies (see filmography) and has gone on to conquer serious roles including the title role in "Hamlet" (1990) co-starring Glenn Close. He has, although, sustained his career with action roles such as the three ultra-popular "Lethal Weapon" films and his ever popular "Mad Max" sequels.
Mel made his directorial debut (and also stared) in "The Man Without A Face"(1993). In 1995 he stared, produced and directed the epic "Braveheart," in which he won the Oscar for best director and best actor. He has also won several Austrailian acting awards, including best actor for his performance in "Gallipoli."
Mel is a devoted family man and brings his family of seven children and wife with him on location whenever he is working. When he isn’t working, the Gibsons live on a ranch in Australia.
Related Sites
|
Mel Gibson